VICE President Sara Duterte revealed that the legal team of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (FPRRD) has found a country willing to accept him for his interim release.
She said during a speech in Japan, his legal team’s request for interim release took some time to file because they had difficulty finding a country that would accept the former president. According to her, during her tours across Southeast Asia as Vice President and secretary of Education, she met a representative from a potential host country and explained why her family needed their support.
“Kaya medyo tumagal kami pero nakahanap din kami ng isang bansa na nagsabing tatanggapin namin siya (That's why it took us a bit longer, but we eventually found a country that said yes and would accept him),” she said during her speech at Misa Cultural Center, Ama City in Nagoya Prefecture in Japan, September 21, 2025.
Under International Criminal Court (ICC) rules, interim release is not granted if the accused is considered a flight risk, may threaten complainants or witnesses, or is likely to continue committing crimes.
However, the younger Duterte firmly stated that FPRRD has no intention of going into hiding.
She recalled a previous visit of the former president to Hong Kong, where there were concerns that he might flee. She even mentioned that FPRRD’s "girlfriend" suggested hiring a private plane to fly him out of the country.
Still, she said the decision was up to him and that FPRRD chose to return to the Philippines.
The vice president also pointed out that FPRRD never threatened any complainants or witnesses, citing the investigation led by then-Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Leila De Lima in 2012, as well as complaints raised by former senator Antonio Trillanes.
Sara added that although FPRRD was re-elected as mayor of Davao by his constituents, he was unable to take his oath of office and therefore could not continue any alleged criminal acts.
She clarified that the former president, in applying for interim release, simply wishes to return to Davao, and that he has no plans to hide in Africa, Antarctica, Alaska, or even Japan.
She stressed that her father has no plans to hide because he wanted to die in the Philippines, as a matter of factly.
Sara also raised concerns about human rights, emphasizing that her father was forced to board a plane despite being elderly and ill. She appealed for humanitarian consideration in granting the interim release, emphasizing that FPRRD requires a caregiver and should not be left alone.
She noted that FPRRD understands that if an interim release is granted, he will not be allowed to return to the Philippines and will have to remain in the host country.
Abuse and corruption allegations
The vice president also spoke about alleged abuse and corruption in the current administration, calling the treatment of FPRRD a form of abuse.
She said that those accused should be allowed to face their cases in the Philippines, and reminded authorities that any accused individual still has rights.
She also said that if there is a warrant, the accused should be brought before a judge and not forcibly taken out of the country.
“Hindi siya dinala sa korte doon sa Pilipinas. Kung nakikita ninyo ang footage noon, draw na yun, anong sinasabi siya? ‘Dalahin niyo ako before a Filipino judge. Before a Filipino court.’ Kasi yun ang karapatan ng akusado sa atin doon sa Pilipinas (He was not brought to court there in the Philippines. If you saw the footage from that time, what was he saying? 'Bring me before a Filipino judge. Before a Filipino court.' Because that is the right of the accused in our country, in the Philippines),” she said.
Postponement of FPRRD’s pre-trial
Sara also confirmed that FPRRD’s defense team has filed a motion requesting the court to evaluate whether the former president is fit to stand trial.
“Tingnan natin kung ang akusado ay makapag-trial pa. Meron kaming mga expert. Kumuha kayo ng mga expert at maglitis tayo. Mag hearing tayo sa kapasidad, competency ng akusado na mag-trial (Let’s see if the accused can still go to trial. We have experts. Get some experts and let’s proceed with the trial. Let’s hold a hearing on the capacity and competency of the accused to stand trial),” she said.
Earlier, the International Criminal Court (ICC) postponed the confirmation hearing in FPRRD’s case. Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC granted the delay of the September 23, 2025 hearing following a request from Duterte’s legal counsel, stating that the former president “is not fit to stand trial.”
FPRRD is currently detained at the ICC facility in The Hague, Netherlands, over alleged crimes against humanity related to his administration’s drug war.
ICC prosecutor charges Duterte with 3 counts of murder
The prosecutor of ICC has formally implicated FPRRD of three counts of murder and attempted murder for his crimes against humanity charge, based on the 15-page court document released on September 22, 2025.
The first count is for the 19 deaths when he was mayor of Davao City from 2013 to 2016, second count is the death of 14 “high-value targets” in the Philippines during his administration as president of the country from 2016 to 2017, and third count is the attempted murder of 45 victims in his “barangay clearing operations” in the country from 2016 to 2018. RGP with reports from TAP/SNS